Future Directions for GISCI and the Exam Rebecca Somers PM, GISCI Exam Development Somers-St.Claire GIS Management Consultants, Fairfax, Virginia
February 2015 2-16-15
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Overview • • • •
GISP® and other GIS certifications Why obtain certification? Future directions for GISCI What it means now
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GIS Certifications
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GISP® Certification • GIS Professional Certification • Issued by GISCI – AAG, GITA, GLIS, NSGIC, UCGIS, URISA – Since 2004
• Certification of GIS achievement, competency, and professionalism: – Experience – Education – Contributions
• Portfolio; exam to be added in 2015 2-16-15
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Other GIS Certifications • ASPRS—suite of certifications including: – Certified photogrammetrist (1975) – Certified mapping scientist (GIS/LIS, RS) (1991) – Certified GIS/LIS technologist
• Esri Technical Certifications – Since 2010
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Other Credentials • Certificates – Completion of an education program
• Badges and “micro-credentials” – Indicate accomplishments
• Licensure – Legal requirement
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Why Obtain Certification?
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Why Get Certified? • • • • • • •
Document GIS professional achievement Professional recognition Greater earning and advancement potential Credentials used to prescreen Credential creep (DiBiase, 2014) Growing preference for GIS certification Grow the GIS profession
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Growing Preference for GISP® Certification • More than 100 recent (Oct-Nov 2014) job listings included a preference for GISP® Certification • Public & private sectors • All types of jobs, including: – GIS manager – Geospatial analyst – GIS coordinator – GIS technician – Project planner – Department director 2-16-15
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Growing Recognition of GISP® Certification • States are endorsing the GISP® Certification, including: – North Carolina – New Jersey – Ohio – Oregon – California – Montana
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Grow the GIS Profession • It’s not just what you get from certification • What your participation contributes: – Increase GIS professional recognition – Increase GIS professional cooperation – Modular and portable GIS certifications
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Future Directions for GISCI
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GISP® Certification Development and Status 1990s
Feasibility & Discussion
1997
2015
2004
2001
GISCI
URISA Certification Committee
More than 7000 GISPs
Dev. of GISP® Certification Process
Current GISP® Certification Process: Portfolio—experience, education, contributions 2-16-15
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Professional Certification Development 1990s
1997
2001
2004
2011-12
2015
GISCI
Start accred. & exam
7000 GISPs
GISCI GISP® Certification Feasibility
1989
Comm. GISP® Cert.
2002
~2005
2009
2013
NCCA/ICE (Nat. Commission for Certifying Agencies/Institute for Credentialing Excellence) NCCA/NOCA
Certification Standards
2003
ICE
Update 2012
ANSI/ISO ANSI/ISO 17024: Personnel Certification 2-16-15
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Update 14
Professional Certification Standards • NCCA and ANSI set professional certification standards • NCCA and ANSI accredit certifying organizations • GISCI plans to meet these standards and achieve accreditation for the GISP® Certification and any other certifications it may develop Certification is for protection of the public, not just advancement of the profession. 2-16-15
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Professional Certification Standards • Validated by a Job Analysis – The tasks job incumbents perform – The knowledge, skills, and abilities they need to perform them
• Independent • Accreditation – Assessment instrument—process & result – Certifying organization’s operations and governance 2-16-15
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Job Analysis and Certification Development Job Definition & Certification Purpose Job Analysis KSAs
Tasks
Linkage & Validity Certification/Assessment Specification Psychometric Validation/review
Assessment Instrument
Resources: Lit., References, BoK, Best Practices
Certification 2-16-15
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Professional Certification is Based On • Job Analysis – Essential method for determining the content of a certification assessment – Must adhere to accepted methodology – Must demonstrate and document job-relatedness – Unambiguously required by psychometric standards
• Not directly derived from – Competency model or skills list (GISCI used the GTCM Tier 4, core technical competencies, as a guideline) – General BoK (GISCI used GIS&T BoK used as reference) – Best practices 2-16-15
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GISP® Certification Update • Addition of an exam to strengthen the GISP® certification • Align with Job Analysis • Prepare for accreditation
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Job Analysis • First direct job analysis for GIS professionals • Several focus groups of job incumbents spanning all sectors, job types, and levels of experience (more than 50) • Validation survey--more than 350 individuals spanning all sectors, job types, and experience levels • Results vary somewhat from GIS&T BoK and GTCM—mostly in emphasis 2-16-15
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Exam Development Job Analysis Exam Blueprint Exam Content Pilot Cut Score Final Exam
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Alignment of Portfolio Requirements • Validate (with respect to Job Analysis results) • Adjust (to Job Analysis results)
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Preparation for Accreditation • Exam (to supplement portfolio) • Certification process validation and documentation • Operational adjustments • Governance adjustments
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Moving Forward • Not only validate GISP® certification through accreditation… • GISP® certification will serve as foundation for other certifications – New GIS certifications – Linkage to related certification
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Additional/Specialty GIS Certifications • Sponsoring organization or interest group discuss with GISCI—define job/certification • Determine relationship to GISP® certification • GISCI follow standard certification development process (job analysis, validation, etc.) • SMEs, job incumbents, and resources from across industry • Certification granted and operated by GISCI • Business driver—membership/activity for sponsoring organization 2-16-15
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Additional/Specialty GIS Certifications “Sponsor”
GISCI Relationship to GISP ®
Job Definition & Certification Purpose
Industry-wide Job Incumbents & SMEs
Job Analysis Tasks
Job Description/Scope
KSAs
Linkage & Validity Certification/Assessment Specification Psychometric Validation/review
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Assessment Instrument
Guidance on Resources
Certification
Membership/ Services
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Additional GIS Professional Certifications Based On • Job Analysis – Essential method for determining the content of a certification assessment – Must adhere to accepted methodology – Must demonstrate and document job-relatedness
• Not based on – Competency model or skill list, BoK, or best practices – These are references
• Certifying organizations follow Professional Certification standards, practices, and guidelines 2-16-15
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What it Means Now
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What to Expect • Two-part GISP® certification process: Portfolio and Exam • Begin application process at any time with either component • 6 years to complete application
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GISCI Geospatial Core Technical Knowledge Exam® Blueprint Knowledge Area
Weight
Conceptual Foundations Cartography and Visualization GIS Design Aspects and Data Modeling GIS Analytical Methods Data Manipulation Geospatial Data
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12% 14% 29% 17% 15% 13%
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What to Expect: Exam • Exam pilot winter 2015 • GISCI Geospatial Core Technical Knowledge Exam® mid 2015 • All GISP® certification applicants will be required to take the exam once it starts • Initially, the exam will be offered at testing centers on specific dates • Exam availability will increase shortly thereafter 2-16-15
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What to Expect: GISP Certification • Minimal change in the portfolio component • Recertify without exam • Process changes coming in July 2015
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What to Expect: GISP Certification Changes • July 1, 2015: Changes take effect – 3 year certification and recertification periods – Every new applicant must take exam – New fee structure • • • • •
Certification application fee: $100 Certification exam fee: $250 Certification portfolio review fee: $100 Annual renewal fee: $95 Recertification: every 3 years; no fee—covered by renewal fees
• Until July 1, 2015: Current process remains – 5 year certification and recertification (“renewal”) periods – Current certification and recertification fees 2-16-15
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What to Expect: GISP Certification Changes • July 1, 2015: Changes take effect
• GISP certification will cost approx. $100/yr. for career 2-16-15
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GISCI Directions • More than just an exam… • Accreditation: – Alignment of GISP® certification and GISCI with accepted professional certification development standards and practice – Validation of GISP® certification
• Stronger foundation for additional/related GIS certifications 2-16-15
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What To Think About • GISP® certification: – Get certified for what you already have achieved – Certification can help advance your career – Help grow the GIS profession
• Prospective GISPs: July 1 • Current GISPs: Participate in final stages of exam development – gisci.org 2-16-15
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For More Information • Rebecca Somers, GISCI Exam Development Project Manager:
[email protected] • www.gisci.org • Bill Hodge, GISCI Executive Director:
[email protected]
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For More Information • Rebecca Somers, “GISCI’s GISP® Certification, Evolution, and Future Directions”, URISA GIS Pro 2014 Proceedings. Also available at gisci.org. • Tripp Corbin. “GIS Certification: To Certify or Not Certify”, URISA GIS Pro Proceedings 2014. • David DiBiase, “Credential Creep in the GIS Field—For Good or for Ill?”, Esri blog 2014. (http://blogs.esri.com/esri/esri-insider/2014/11/14/credential-creep-in-the-gis-field-for-good-or-for-ill/)
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